Mr. Pat O'Mahony:

It is an important question. The net issue it illustrates is that only a small proportion of people access the Internet for the purchase of medicines. In our well-conducted research we put some very detailed questions to more than 1,000 people. Many people access the Internet for advice on medical conditions and also for medicines. However, the number of people who say they are conscious of the risks and do not buy is also very high. Only 2% admit to purchasing medicines on the Internet.

The net issue is that most of the drugs that come in via the Internet, that is, the illegal route, are the lifestyle drugs to which we have referred. The sedatives, Zopiclone and so on, mentioned in the report are coming in and are sold illegally on the street. There are also drugs and steroids for weight loss, body building and erectile dysfunction. They are largely individual importations. While a large-scale operation is rare, we have had a number down through the years. We might have one or less per year which would then be repackaged for reselling either out of Ireland or within Ireland. This is largely about people who do not want to talk to their doctor about erectile dysfunction, about steroids for body building or weight loss products because they are not lawful. They do not necessarily want to have that discussion with their pharmacist, health care professional or doctor. Those are the people who are being exploited by purchasing illegally on the Internet. While the figures are substantial, the number is a tiny proportion of the value of the overall market. The issue of people going abroad is a separate matter.